Los Angeles's 1st City Council district
Government
 • Councilmember. Eunisses Hernandez
. D–Highland Park
Population
 (2022)
 • Total248,124
Demographics
 • White9.2%
 • Asian17.6%
 • Hispanic69.5%
 • Black2.5%
 • Other0.4%
Websitecouncildistrict1.lacity.gov
Registered voters (2017) 96,058

Los Angeles's 1st City Council district is one of the fifteen districts in the Los Angeles City Council. It is currently represented by Democrat Eunisses Hernandez since 2022, after she beat previous councilmember Gil Cedillo that year.

The district was created in 1925 after a new city charter was passed, which replaced the former "at large" voting system for a nine-member council with a district system with a 15-member council. Between 1923 and 1987, District 1 represented all, then parts, of the San Fernando Valley. It was redistricted in 1987 after the death of councilmember Howard Finn to cover an area northwest and north of Downtown Los Angeles in order to provide another majority-Hispanic council district in the city.[1][2]

Geography

The 1st district encompasses neighborhoods in Northeast Los Angeles and Downtown Los Angeles, including, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Chinatown, Mount Washington, Echo Park, Elysian Park, Westlake, Pico-Union, Koreatown, Angelino Heights, Lincoln Heights, and MacArthur Park.[3] The district is separated from Downtown by the 110 freeway, and the boundary continues northeast until it reaches York Boulevard in Highland Park. The district is approximately 13.5 square miles in area, making it the city's third-smallest council district.[1]

The district is overlapped with California's 28th, California's 34th, California's 36th congressional districts, as well as overlapping with California's 51st and 53rd State Assembly districts and California's 24th and 30th State Senate districts.

Historical boundaries

The district was preceded by the first ward, established in 1870 when the city was first incorporated. During the ward system in place from 1870 to 1889, it elected three (four from 1874 to 1878) to the Los Angeles Common Council. The first ward included the northern part of Downtown Los Angeles and was within the northwestern portion of the city's original boundaries.[4][5] The district was obsolete when the at-large district was first established in 1889.

From 1889 to 1909, the ward was re-established, with the boundaries at the Los Angeles River, Mission Street, and Macy Street. It included the neighborhoods of East Lost Angeles, Cypress Park, Mount Washington, and other Eastside Los Angeles communities. It elected one member through a plurality vote before the ward became obsolete when the at-large district was re-established again in 1909.[6]

In 1925, the 1st district was created and was mainly situated within the San Fernando Valley. At its creation, it encompassed all of San Fernando Valley, some of the Santa Monica Mountains reaching south to the Sherman district, the Cahuenga Pass, the Hollywood Hills, Griffith Park, Atwater and the eastern part of the Los Feliz District south to approximately Santa Monica Boulevard.[7][8] The district office was located in the Roscoe neighborhood.[9] In 1928, the eastern section of the southern boundary was changed from Sunset Boulevard to Fountain Avenue, with the west boundary being along the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains.[10] In 1933, Atwater Village was absorbed into the district, with Los Feliz later being absorbed in 1937.[11][12][13]

In 1940, with the rise of the Valley population, the 1st District gave up the Los Feliz and Atwater Village, with its southeast boundary retreating to a point near Cahuenga Boulevard and Mulholland Highway. It was then still the only Valley district.[14] By 1971, the 1st District was the largest geographic area in the city, about 76 square miles, which was a sixth the total area of Los Angeles. It included Arleta, Lake View Terrace, Mission Hills, Pacoima, Shadow Hills, Sunland-Tujunga, Sun Valley and Sylmar.

On August 12, 1986, councilman Howard Finn of died in office, leaving the district without an incumbent.[2][15] Because of a court order to have the Council redistrict itself to provide more representation for Latinos, the 1st district was redrawn to be in the 69% Latino area north and west of downtown Los Angeles.[16]

List of members representing the district

1889–1909

Councilmember Party Years Electoral history
Single-member ward established February 25, 1889

H. V. Van Dusen
(Eastside)		 Republican February 25, 1889 –
December 5, 1890		 Elected in 1889.
Retired.

Francis M. Nickell
(Alhambra)		 Democratic December 5, 1890 –
December 12, 1894		 Elected in 1890.
Re-elected in 1892.
Lost re-election.

George W. Stockwell
(Vermont Square)		 Republican December 12, 1894 –
December 16, 1896		 Elected in 1984.
Lost re-election.

Francis M. Nickell
(Alhambra)		 Democratic December 16, 1896 –
December 15, 1898		 Elected in 1896.
Lost re-election.

William H. Pierce
(Lincoln Heights)		 Republican December 15, 1898 –
December 5, 1902		 Elected in 1897.
Re-elected in 1900.
Retired.

Owen McAleer
(Vermont Square)		 Republican December 5, 1902 –
December 8, 1904		 Elected in 1902.
Retired to run for Mayor of Los Angeles.

Fred L. Ford
(Eagle Rock)		 Republican December 8, 1904 –
December 13, 1906		 Elected in 1904.
Retired.

R. W. Dromgold
(East Los Angeles)		 Democrat December 8, 1906 –
December 10, 1909		 Elected in 1906.
Retired.
Single-member ward eliminated December 10, 1909

1925–present

Councilmember Party Dates Electoral history
District established July 1, 1925

Charles H. Randall
(Sun Valley)		 Prohibition July 1, 1925 –
June 30, 1933		 Elected in 1925.
Re-elected in 1931.
Lost re-election.

Jim Wilson
(North Hollywood)		 Republican July 1, 1933 –
June 30, 1941		 Elected in 1933.
Re-elected in 1935.
Re-elected in 1937.
Lost re-election.

Delamere F. McCloskey
(Van Nuys)		 Democratic July 1, 1941 –
June 30, 1945		 Elected in 1941.
Re-elected in 1943.
Lost re-election.

Leland S. Warburton
(Van Nuys)		 Republican July 1, 1945 –
June 30, 1953		 Elected in 1945.
Re-elected in 1947.
Re-elected in 1949.
Retired.

Everett G. Burkhalter
(North Hollywood)		 Democratic July 1, 1953 –
December 26, 1962		 Elected in 1953.
Re-elected in 1957.
Re-elected in 1961.
Resigned when elected to the
U. S. House of Representatives.
Vacant December 26, 1962 –
January 28, 1963

Louis R. Nowell
(Sunland)		 Democratic January 28, 1963 –
June 30, 1977		 Appointed to finish Burkhalter's term.
Elected in 1963.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1969.
Re-elected in 1973.
Retired.

Bob Ronka
(Sunland)		 Democratic July 1, 1977 –
June 30, 1981		 Elected in 1977.
Retired to run for City Attorney.[17]

Howard Finn
(Sylmar)		 Independent July 1, 1981 –
August 12, 1986		 Elected in 1981.
Re-elected in 1985.
Died.
Vacant August 12, 1986 –
February 3, 1987		 Chief Legislative Analyst William McCarley
appointed as caretaker until next election.[18]

Gloria Molina
(El Sereno)		 Democratic February 3, 1987 –
March 7, 1991		 Elected in finish Finn's term.
Resigned when elected to the
L. A. County Board of Supervisors.[19]
Vacant March 7, 1991 –
August 13, 1991

Mike Hernandez
(Cypress Park)		 Democratic August 13, 1991 –
June 30, 2001		 Elected to finish Molina's term.
Re-elected in 1995.
Re-elected in 1997.
Termed out.

Ed Reyes
(Mt. Washington)		 Democratic July 1, 2001 –
June 30, 2013		 Elected in 2001.
Re-elected in 2005.
Re-elected in 2009.
Termed out.

Gil Cedillo
(Highland Park)		 Democratic July 1, 2013 –
December 12, 2022		 Elected in 2013.
Re-elected in 2017.
Lost re-election.

Eunisses Hernandez
(Highland Park)		 Democratic December 12, 2022 –
 Elected in 2022.

References

Access to most Los Angeles Times links requires the use of a library card.

  1. 1 2 Los Angeles City Council website Archived 2010-02-23 at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 Decker, Cathleen (September 8, 1986). "Rural Valley Area Draws the Line Over Redistricting Plan". Los Angeles Times. p. B1. ProQuest 154830646.
  3. ↑ Hernández, Caitlin (November 18, 2022). "LA City Council In 2023: Your Guide To Who's Who (And What They Do)". LAist.
  4. ↑ "The Ward Boundaries". Los Angeles Herald. November 12, 1878.
  5. ↑ "The Black Pioneers of Los Angeles County: The Counting of African Americans in the 1880 Federal Census". Homestead Museum. February 22, 2021. In the city's First Ward including the northern part of downtown, [...].
  6. ↑ Stevens, Mark H. The Road to Reform: Los Angeles' Municipal Elections of 1909: Part II. Vol. 86. University of California Press. pp. 325–368.
  7. ↑ "First Map Showing City Council's Districts," Los Angeles Times, January 16, 1925, page 1 The map shows all 15 council districts. The official boundaries of all 15 as limned by the city clerk are at "Councilmanic Districts Are Traced by Clerk Dominguez," Los Angeles Times, February 12, 1925, page A-2
  8. ↑ "Here Are the Hundred and Twelve Aspirants for the City's Fifteen Councilmanic Seats," Los Angeles Times, May 3, 1925, page 7
  9. ↑ "To the Citizens of Los Angeles," Los Angeles Times, February 14, 1926, page B-5
  10. ↑ "Council Areas' Lines Changed," Los Angeles Times, December 29, 1928, page A-1
  11. ↑ "District Lines Get Approval," Los Angeles Times, December 24, 1932, page 2
  12. ↑ "City Reapportionment Measure Gets Approval," Los Angeles Times, January 19, 1933 With map of all districts.
  13. ↑ "New Council Zones Defined," Los Angeles Times, January 7, 1937, page A-18
  14. ↑ "Proposed New Alignment for City Voting Precincts" (with map), Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1940, page A-3
  15. ↑ "Candlelight Service for Finn to Be Held Tonight in Sunland". Los Angeles Times. August 20, 1986. p. V_A7. ProQuest 154693266.
  16. ↑ Merina, Victor; Simon, Richard (September 17, 1986). "Wachs Fails in Last-Ditch Effort to Halt Remap Plan: REMAP: Bid to Stop Plan Unsuccessful". Los Angeles Times. p. B1. ProQuest 154873482.
  17. ↑ Erwin Baker, "Ronka Plans to Run for City Attorney Post, Quit Council," Los Angeles Times, August 12, 1980, page C-1
  18. ↑ Simon, Richard (August 16, 1986). "LAPD Detective First in Scramble to Fill Finn's Seat". Los Angeles Times.
  19. ↑ Simon, Richard (February 20, 1991). "Molina Wins Historic Contest for Supervisor : Politics: The victory culminates a long struggle to put a Latino on board. She is first woman elected to panel". Los Angeles Times.
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